Process of detecting leaks in soil-pipes



(No Model.)

B. T. CRANE. PROGEQS 0F DETECTING LEAKS IN SOIL PIPES.

No. 434,106. Patented Aug. 12, 1890.

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I I z'czmrd' ZLrane UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD T. CRANE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PROCESS OF DETECTING LEAKS IN SOlL-PIPES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 434,106, dated August 12, 1890.

Application filed June '7, 1889. Serial No. 313,520. (No model.)

To all whom it may Eon/corn.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD T. CRANE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Process of Detecting Leaks in Soil-Pipes, which is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

It is well known that it is very difficult to detect the presence of sewer-gas in houses, especially if the leaks are small. My invention relates to a method whereby these leakages can be detected with almost absolute certainty. In the ordinary method of testing the plumbing in a building for the purpose of discoveringleakages of sewer-gas, peppermint or some other very volatile liquid having a very strong pungent odor is employed, the plan being to introduce this fluid into the pipes in some way with the expectation that the vapor will escape through even small openings in any of the pipes and so indicate the leakage by its odor in one or more rooms in the building. One method is to close all the pipe-openings but one and then pour the fluid into this opening with the expectation that the presence of defects will be indicated by the escape of the odor, as mentioned above. Another plan is to drive the fluid into the pipe at some one point from a receptacle on the outside thereof. Neither of these methods is entirely reliable, as the fluid, if aliquid, must out some escape of odor outside of the pipes,

and hence the presence of the odor in a room or rooms will not always indicate a leakage thereinto from the plumbing. Itis the object of my present improvement to obviate these objections by rendering the escape of the odoriferous vapor outside of the soil-pipes impossible and so prevent any confusion of the examiner through the influence of odors arising outside of the pipes. This result is accomplished by introducing the fluid directly into the soil-pipe at the lower portion thereof, enclosed in a hermetically-sealed receptacle, which is afterward opened or broken within the. pipe. There is, therefore, no escape for the odoriferous vapor from the soilpipe and its connections exceptthrough leakages or the regular outlet, and hence the presence of the odor in any part of the building will, with certainty, indicate a defect in the plumbing sufficient to permit the leakage of sewer-gas.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing one way in which I have practically and successfully carried out my invention, which drawing shows a vertical section of a portion of the soil-pipe, with an instrument applied thereto for the introduction and liberation of the odoriferous fluid.

In the drawing, A represents a portion of---- the soil-pipe of the building to be tested, the location selected being at the lower part of the building. A hole a is bored into this pipe to permit the insertion of an instrument adapted to introduce the detective fluid into the pipe and there release it. The instrument shown in the drawing consists of'a spindle B, which is provided at one end with a chamber or cage 1) and at the other with a always be insured, and if necessary this joint maybe sealed. The solid portion of the spin dle is bored throughout its length, this bore being screw-threaded a portion or all of its length. A rod or plunger C is threaded and adapted to fit the bore in the spindle, so that it maybe turned back and forth therein, being provided with a crank c at the outer end projecting from the spindle for this purpose. A stuffing-box D is secured to the outer end of the spindle A, and the plunger-rod 0 passes through this stuffing-box, so thata perfectlytight joint is formed at this point between the spindle and plunger. A detective fluid is inclosed in a small vial E of glass or other fragile material, and this vial is hermetically sealed in any suitable way. I have found it a good method of scaling to cover the cork andmouth of the vial with a good coating of success of my method that there shall be no escape of odoruntil the fluid is released inside of the soil-pipe.

In practicing my method with the device herein shown and described the hole a is bored in the soil-pipe at or near the bottom of the building. One of the sealed vials E is then placed within the cage of the spindle, which may be done by withdrawing the plunger-rod and passing the vial through the bore in the spindle. The plunger-rod is then returned and the spindle inserted in the hole cut through the soil-pipe, being screwed into-the latter by means of the handle. The vial is thus placed within the soil-pipe, as seen in the drawing, and the joints by which the insertion is made are perfectly tight. The plunger-rod is now turned forward until it crushes the vial, thereby releasing the fluid, which escapes from the cage through slots or openings c'ut therein. The pungent vapor will now fill the soil-pipe and all its connections, and if there be any leakage will escape into the adjoining'room or rooms of the building, where its presence will be instantly detected. The presence of this vapor outside of the soil-pipe and its connections, except through such leakages, is, h-owever, entirely prevented, so that wherever the odor is detected a leakage is indicated with absolute certainty.

The above description of devices is given for the purpose of illustration only, for the practice of my invention is not confined to any particular instrument or device. It is only necessary that the receptacle for the fluid shall be hermetically sealed and that some instrument shall be provided suitable for introducing this receptacle into the soil-pipe and then releasing the contents of the receptacle. The receptacle itself may be of glass or other fragile material and broken by the instrument in which it is held to release the contents; or it may be of material not readily broken, in which case it must be opened in some suitable way by an appliance working through tight joints in the holder of the receptacle. The cork may be drawn by a suitable device or the receptacle perforated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The herein-described method for detecting leaks in soil-pipes in buildings,the same consisting in introducing the detective fluidinto the interior of the soil-pipe, in an hermetically-sealed receptacle, by a suitable holder inserted in the pipe and then breaking or opening said receptacle within the pipe by a suitable device operated from the outside thereof,

substantially as and for the purposes specified.

RICHARD T. CRANE.

Witnesses:

CARRIE FEIGEL, J. M. THACHER. 

